Process of heating oil-retorts and apparatus therefor



c. M. ALEXANDER, PROCESS OF HEATING OIL RETORTS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

APPLlCATlON FILED MARi 14, 1916.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

UNITED STATES OLIVE 1I. ALEXANDER, OF PORT COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH,

PATENT oFFlcE.

PROCESS 0F HEATING OIL-RETORTS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

Application med March 14, 191e. serial N6.

To @ZZ w/tomI t may concern Be it known that I, CLIvn M. ALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Port Arthur, in the county of Jefferson and State of rlexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Heating Oil-Retorts and Apparatus Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to processes of heating oil retorts and apparatus therefor; and it comprises a method of securing even heating of oil retorts and the like throughout their length wherein such retort is surrounded by a heat transmitting sleeve in heat radiating proximity thereto and fire gases are first caused to circulate around such sleeve and thereafter between such sleeve and such retort; and it also comprises a new apparatus, particularly intended for the heating and cracking of oils to convert the same into pyrolytic` products, said apparatus comprising a lire chamber, means for introducing hot flame gases thereintm a sleeve ot heat-conductive materia-l mounted in said chamber and having an end open to the chamber at the' end of chamber opposite the end where said iiame gases are introduced, a retort mounted in said sleeve, an exit for flame gases at the other end of the sleeve, a preheating chamber communication with saidexit means and an oil preheating means extending through said preheating chamber; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

ln the manufacture of gasolene from high boiling petroleum oils, it is a common practice to heat such oils to what is known as a cracking temperature; a temperature at which the more complex oils of the high boiling petroleum oils break down into low boiling oils of simpler chemical composition. Very frequently this operation is performed under pressure. Sometimes the oil is so heated as a liquid vapors are so heated. ln either case, the vapors from the reaction chamber are led forward to a condenser and condensed, condensation sometimes being under pressure and sometimes not. The temperatures required in the cracking operation are uite high, rangingifrom 450 C. to 600 or even higher; and it is diiiicult to 'rovide apparatus of any large capacity which will give uniform heat. And 1t 1s further difficult togive such large apparatus the neces- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

and sometimes the Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

sary factor of safety where the operation 1s under very high pressure; say, 75 pounds to 300 pounds if the apparatus is exposed to uneven or localized heating.

Even heating throughout the extent of an oil cracking retort is highly desirable since the breaking down of oil is a reaction that depends very largely upon temperature.

lt is an object of the present invention to obviate the stated difficulties and secure cerl tain new advantages by a method of heating which will temperatures throughout an oil converting apparatus of relatively large size and great length; it being possible under the present invention to gain great capacity by lengthening the converting apparatus without incurring difficulty in securing uniform heating throughout the length. In any flame heating operation, and particularly where the heating is of a vertically disposed apparatus, there is, of course, a tendency to have a localized development of high temperature at some point. The flame temperatures may be made more uniform by the use of various chemical expedients such as dilution with carbon dioxid (return of waste gases) and such an' expedient may be used in connection with the present invention; but l can secure the desired heating uniformity without the use of such expedients. rThe use of flames tempered by introduction of products of combustion in a Well known manner is desirable but not necessary in the present' invention.

l havel found that l can secure the desirable uniform heating throughout the extent of a retort even with flames presenting a restricted and localized area of high temperature bv -the simple expedient of surrounding t e retort throughout nearly its entire extent with a heat transmitting casing of iron, clay, etc., 'in heat radiating proximity to such retort, and passing fire gases first around such casing and then there- 100 through between the casing and the retort. By so doing, the retort is exposed to an even :heating throughout its length Whatever the character of the fla-me employed.

Transference of heat through the casing 105 evens u the heat throughout the gas current.. y the time the hot gases come into immediate proximity to the retort their temperature is uniform and since no loss of heat by radiation can occur While they are 1110#- give substantially uniformviding the outside sleeve ratus, the showing being more y means shown as' swmgable Iene,

' sleeve acts, so

' heatin passing inside the hotter casing, the yheating of the retort is uniform. A v

While\the described invention may be employed in connection with any oil converting retort, whether the same be used for makin oil gas or be used for making gasoshall yhe-reinaiiter describe itsl use more particularly for the latter purpose and in connection with retorts wherein the crackingor conversion is effected at a high .temperature and pressure. In cracking oil or oil vapors under heavy pressure at high temperatures, even heating is of course necessary for reasons of safety as well as of securing an even conversion since it is dangerous to overheat such a retort locally. In this connection I may mention that by pro- I secure advantage in the. event of accidents su'ch as breaka e, leakage, etc., happening to the retort by reason of flaws therein since the to speak, as a guard member. While the described process of uniformly oil retorts is susceptible of many embodlments in apparatus form, I shall hereinafter describe it as more particularly adapted to heating a retort of the character described, such a retort being shown 1n the annexed drawing. A

In the accompanyi g showing, the figure is a view in vertical section of such an appaor less grammatic. In this showingj element 1 designates as a whole a furnace chamber .provided with inlet 2 for introduction of fire or flame gases froma burner or any other suit- As shown,

the heating chamber 1s ing 'chamber proper 3 and a preheating chamber 4 provided, with4 outlet .5 for waste gases leading to a suitable point `of disposi` tion of the hot waste gases (not shown) such as an economizer, etc. Partition 6 serves the two chambers referred to. Passing longitudinally through the first chamber isroil converter 7 extending above and below the heating chamber proper. In its upper extension it is provided with vapor conduit 8 leading to suitable condensers (not shown). It may be provided with carbon detaching chains 9 actuated by rotary drive'means On rotating shaft 10, these chains are thrown centrifugally against the wall of the retort. At its lower extension it is provided withaivalve 11 and carbon pot or tar pot 12 provided with cleaning means 13 for removing carbon, tar, etc. Around this retort is positioned heat transmitting sleeve 14. At its base, wall 14 prevents direct impingement of flame on the sleeve. As shown, the heating chamber is provided with baies 15 causing the '-re gases to describe a tortuous `path around this sleeve, giving upheat there o and becoming to divide and form a further a boiler, a stack,.

thoroughly mixed, homogenized and made uniform in temperature by the time they reach its top 16. The sleeve is open at its top and stops somewhat short of the top of the ire chamber to provide communication between such lire chamber and its interior. At its base the sleeve is rovided with outlet conduit 17, leading to the preheating charnber. In the preheating chamber is located oil heater or vaporizer 18 provided with oil inlet 19 through which oil, as for example gas oil or crude petroleum, can be intro.- duced under any pressure desired. At its base, this oil heater or, vaporizer is provided with an unheated extension communieating through valve ing cleaning means 22. Above this extension, a lateral conduit 23 leads the hot oil,v or oil vapors into the described retort. Another lateral extension 24 capped at 25 is provided for cleaning out purposes.

eater or vaporizer may also be provided with scraping means 26, shown as chain means actuated by rotary drive 27.

i In use, presumin the described apparatus is employed for ma ing gasolene, oil may be introduced through the inlet 19 under such pump pressure as may be desired. The oil passes downward through 18 and is vaporized. Any unvaporizedloil is tapped olf at valve l20 into the tar pot 21. The vapors pass through 23Linto the base of the oil converting retort and ascend therethrough being evenly heated to the desired tempera-- ture which, in this case, may be around 450 to 550 C. By manipulation of valve 28 the exit of vapors and gases from the chamber may be so controlled as to cause any pressure desired, as for instance 7 5 to 300 pounds, lto prevail in the retort. Any carbon or tar formed or' set free in the. action drops i'nto the unheated lower extension and is removed from time to time by manipulation of valve 11.

Instead 'of heating only the vapors of oil in the tubularI retort, liquid oil may be heated therein. In such an event the feed of oil through 19 is simply increased valve 20 being closedfThe same apparatus may be employed vfor making oil gas- In this event, A the temperature is best increased to 700 or 800 C. and suction applied to outlet 8 by a suitabledevice (not shown). The apparatus for making gas may of course be worked at ordinary pressures, but a slight degree of suction gives a somewhat richer gas.

For making condensable low boiling aromatic compounds from mineral oils the apparatus may be rurrunder a pressure Aof 75 to 300 pounds as before but the temperature raised to 600 and 700 C. Such low boiling aromatic. compounds .may apparatus by feeding such as those coming the varieties of natural in lparticular gases,

gas yielding casing also be made 1n this from a cracking still,

head gasolene, ete., through 19 and operating asl before, under heavy pressure at a high temperature. In making aromatic compounds more or less of the permanent gases formed in the retort and escaping together with condensable vapors at 8 may be returned to 19 for introduction with the oil through 29.

The process described and the apparatus shown may of course be used for many other purposes.

l. The method of heating oil converting devices, which comprises leading fire ases in contact with a heat conductive partition spaced away somewhat from such oil converting device but in heat radiating relationship throughout substantially its entire length and thereafter leading such fire gases between such partition and such device.

In the heating of tubular oil cracking retorts, the process which comprises leading fire gases around a tubular heat conductive sleeve surrounding such retort throughout substantially Aits entire length and then passing the fire gases between such sleeve and such retort.

3. In apparatus for heating oil retorts, the combination of an oil cracking retort with a partition of heat conductive material spaced away therefrom but in heat radiating relationship thereto throughout substantially its entire length with means for introducing tire gases first in outer contact with said partition and thereafter through the space bewen such partition and such retort.

4. In an oil converting device, a tubular retort, a flame chamber surrounding the same, a tubular sleeve in said flame chamber surrounding said retort and in open communication with said flame chamber at one end, means for introducing fire gases at the other end of said flame chamber and means for removing waste gases from the end of the sleeve opposite the end in open communication with said flame chamber.

5. In an oil converting device, a flame chamber, a preheating chamber, a tubular retort in said llame chamber, a tubular sleeve surrounding said retort and spaced away therefrom, said sleeve being in open communication with the fire chamber at one end, means for introducing fire gases into the ame chamber at the opposite end, means for. removing waste gases from the sleeve at its opposite end and introducing the same into the said preheating chamber,

an oil preheater located in said preliminary heating chamber and in communication with said tubular retort.

6. In an oil converting apparatus, a furnace chamber divided into a flame chamber and a preheating chamber by a suitable partition, an oil converting retort in the flame chamber, a sleeve surrounding but spaced away from said retort located in said flame chamber and extending to a point somewhat short of said chamber, means for introducing fire gases in said llame chamber at its opposite end, bailles extending between the sleeve and the llame chamber to cause re gases to take a tortuous path therearound, a preheatin chamber in open communication with tile opposite end of said sleeve, and an oil vaporizer extending through said preheating chamber and in communication with the oil converting retort.

7. An oil' converting apparatus adapted for cracking oil at high temperatures and pressures and comprising a vertical retort having a tar pot at its bottom, a flame chamber surrounding said retort, a sleeve within said flame chamber also surrounding said retort and extending to a point short of the top of said flame chamber, a vertical preheating chamber receiving fire gases from the base of said sleeve, an oil vaporizer extending through said preheating chamber and provided with a tar pot at its bottom, means for introducing oil into such preheater and means for removing vapors from the top of said retort.

8. A heating chamber provided with a retort to be heated, a wall of heat conductive material surrounding said retort throughout substantially its entire length but open at the top to permit entrance of heated gases, means for heating said wall throughout its length by direct impingement of gases thereon this permitting the said conductive wall to radiate heat to the surrounded retort, the said wall being provided with an opening near the bottom to conduct away 'the gases which have been in contact with the said retort, and the furnace being arranged at the top to direct the gases which have impinged directly with the outside of said wall into contact with the said retort and between it and the surrounding wall.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature hereto.

CLIVE M. ALEXANDER.' 

